2Sustain

As I’m sure you’re aware, oil prices are still on the rise, and unfortunately, analysts say that trend isn’t likely to reverse itself any time soon.

As consumers begrudgingly pat their empty pockets at the pump, businesses, particularly in the shipping sector, also are wondering how best to adapt.

Some are trying to lay blame or even pass the buck by forcing additional surcharges and costs. Others are taking a more proactive approach, advocating for alternative energy fixes or other innovative technology solutions.

In his recent blog post Three Strategies for Reducing Fuel Costs in 2012, Derek Singleton outlines a handful of these new ideas. As Singleton points out, even though rising fuel costs have caused more that a few headaches for shippers and carriers, these problems also have inspired valuable scrutiny of processes and procedures. As a result, shippers are learning that careful planning and the use of predictive technologies–such as distribution business software–can minimize the impact fuel costs have on the bottom line.

If you’re managing a fleet, Singleton suggests you cope with rising fuel costs by using three general strategies. He advises you: (more…)

In our “always on” digitally-connected society, it’s no surprise that more and more companies are offering telecommuting as a regular option for employees. But how do employees feel about working outside of the traditional office?

In a recent survey conducted by global research company Ipsos, more than 11,000 online connected employees from 24 countries were questioned on the pros and cons of telecommuting and its further potential growth as a global business practice.

The data revealed several interesting trends. For example, Ipsos found that:

• One in five (17 percent) employees who can be connected online to their workplace now ‘telecommute’ on a ‘frequent basis.’ Seven percent said they work every day from home, while another 10 percent said they do so ‘on a very consistent and constant basis like evenings and weekends.’

• Telecommuting is most popular in emerging markets. Those working in the Middle East and Africa (27 percent), Latin America (25 percent) and Asia-Pacific (24 percent) are considerably more likely than those in North America (9 percent) and Europe (9 percent) to telecommute ‘on a frequent basis.’
• Educated (25 percent), under the age of 35 (20 percent) and those with a high household income (20 percent) are more likely to telecommute on a frequent basis.
• And, men are more likely than women to telecommute.

In addition, (more…)

The EPA estimates that Americans generate almost 2.5 million tons of used electronics each year. But, are we throwing away equipment that’s in perfect working order?

New research from the UK suggests that in many cases, we are.

A recent study conducted by the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) revealed that nearly one-quarter of the electrical and electronic equipment routinely thrown away by consumers could be reused. What’s more, the researchers found that there is the potential to generate significant resale value from the repair, refurbishment and open market resale of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE).

WRAP estimates that each year consumers in the UK take 348,000 tonnes of WEEE to recycling sites, while another 149,000 tonnes gather in bulky waste collections. WRAP’s research found that: (more…)

Cisco has released its seventh annual corporate social responsibility report, which outlines the company’s accomplishments and efforts in five areas: governance and ethics, the value chain, Cisco employees, society and the environment.

This year, Cisco supplemented its report with input from 25 external global CSR stakeholders who came together via Cisco TelePresence to provide feedback on the company’s CSR reporting process, performance and emerging issues.  According to Cisco, this input resulted in a more navigable report format, increased transparency on supply chain and governance issues  and added detail about how Cisco’s products and solutions are helping its customers meet their energy and environmental goals.

Here are a few environmental accomplishments highlighted in the report:

• Nearly 20,000 Cisco employees use Cisco Virtual Office to extend the company’s network into their homes, permitting high-speed access to voice, video and data applications and reducing green house gas (GHG) emissions by telecommuting one or more days each week.
• Cisco is on track to meet its commitment to reduce all Scope 1, 2, and business-air-travel Scope 3 GHG emissions worldwide by 25 percent absolute by CY12 (from a CY07 baseline).
• In FY11, Cisco conserved approximately 16.9 million kWh of energy and avoided 7,400 metric tonnes of CO2e emissions by investing $1.9 million in energy conservation projects. Twenty-six percent of Cisco’s global energy use was from renewable sources.

With regard to responsible sourcing and the value chain: (more…)

European consumers and business decision-makers are increasingly eager and willing to invest in making their buildings and homes more energy efficient, according to a recent survey conducted by online research organization OnePoll, on behalf of Autodesk, Inc.

More than 2,000 European residents in the UK, France, Germany and Italy participated in the study. Approximately 25 percent were business owners, directors or senior-decision makers. The results show that: (more…)